SOULVENT
NORTHERN / CRIMSON SNOW

2022

PERFUMER
Ciny Ye

pear
plum
hawthorn

tangerine
pu’er tea
liquorice

patchouli
guaiac wood
vetiver

First released as Crimson Snow (2022); re-released in 2024-2025 as Northern. There are also bottles with the name North. Northern won the Art & Olfaction Award for independent perfume of 2025.

Soulvent was probably my favorite new brand discovery during Paris Perfume Week 2026. Unfortunately, the brand wasn’t actually at the event venue, but presented as part of a Notes Shanghai exhibit in a nearby pop-up shop. There were several from the collection that intrigued me upon first sniff, including this Northern.

Which shouldn’t be a surprise, since Northern won the 2025 Art & Olfaction Award for an indie perfume in 2025. And I can see why; it feels like one of the better, well-rounded, in a sense traditional, perfumes that I’ve come across in a while.

The opening is my favorite part; with a fruitiness that grabs the attention. I mostly get blackcurrant from it myself (pear and plum are listed). It’s sour, but not in a fresh fruit or lemonade way. It has a slight astringent quality to it and overall, it reminds me most of a forest setting. Actually, I was reminded of the scent of beer everytime I wore this scent so far too; make of that what you will.

It’s a tad smoky and again, leans towards a ‘foresty’ vibe for a tea accord as well. After a while, the actual forest starts to pull forward; hay, wood shavings and a dry, peppery woodiness reminiscent of retro mossy men’s colognes. It grows into a fragrance that fans of Chanel Antaeus-esque scents would likely appreciate. It’s the acidic fruitiness up top that makes it more to my taste.

A great discovery and especially considering the price (I paid €80, which I guess would be the EU-converted retail, but it’s even more affordable in other regions). Sitting comfortably in between the more artisinal creations and more polished niche (or dated designer?) side of the isle.